Beginnings (Brady Trilogy) (30 page)

Jake smiles, “Sure thing. Alright, I’m going to get going.” He leans in and kisses Isabel’s cheek. “Thanks for the coffee.”

“Thanks for the talk.” Isabel smiles and walks him towards the door.

“Turn the alarm on.” Jake demands as he points to the console on his way out.

Isabel rolls her eyes but laughs lightly. “There are like fifty men outside my door.”

“Don’t make me come back and install another camera.” Jake calls over his shoulder as he walks towards his bike. He watches Isabel laugh but promises to turn it on. He winks at her and settles onto his bike. He doesn’t leave until Isabel shuts her door and he hears her alarm beep.

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Luke stood outside the courtroom with Travis Reed. Any minute now the trials against Dean Scotts would begin and piercing nerves coiled his insides. Reed had worked day and night to gather an impeccable amount of evidence to convince the judge to issue out an arrest warrant within days. Luke couldn’t explain the amount of relief he felt when he got that life changing call that Scotts had been arrested. For the first time since Isabel and he arrived back from New York, he was able to slightly breathe normally. His situation with Isabel at the office had become insufferable. Walking past her every morning knowing he no longer had a claim on the woman he loved was slowly killing him. Watching her lose
weight and depressingly work like a lifeless zombie, sitting behind her desk, was the worst amount of torture he could experience. But something had changed about her. She’d stopped arguing back. She looked sad and defeated versus how defiant she had been towards him since the day he introduced her to Reed. Every time she looked at him it was with new pain. She didn’t argue with him when he told her to stay in the office during lunch hours. Something had shifted for Isabel and Luke was scared to the core she was getting antsy to run away again. It terrified him that she had finally given up any fight that was ever left inside. Even her bold behavior towards him the past few weeks was gone and replaced by a meek, silent shadow.

 Now he stood outside the courtroom, wondering when this torment would end. He’d watched the scum arrive with his father along with his team of partners. It looked like daddy had brought his whole firm with him. Luke’s hands itched to wipe the smirk off of Dean’s face when they came face to face. Luke wanted the bastard to know he was the reason his ass was going to jail and though they had exchanged a few words, Luke kept his composure intact.

Reed, their lawyer, more like Marcy’s lawyer, had gathered compelling evidence and gained her complete participation and trust. Reed was very confident and knew they had the case in the bag. It seemed like a simple win. A few of Jake’s trustworthy men had managed to get into Dean’s room at the hotel he was staying to see what the bastard was up to during his stay.  After finding what they had suspected all along, they worked quickly towards his arrest warrant. The hotel’s owner had allowed police to search through the room which gained Reed further evidence to use against Scotts and his polished clan of attorneys.

 Dean was not prepared to hide his illegal activities before the police broke in and confiscated his cell phone, laptop and unregistered handgun. What they found gave Luke even more momentum to continue this case against Isabel’s wishes. He might end up losing her completely in the process, but at least he would ensure her safety.

Luke wondered what the cocky piece of shit was so confident about. There was no way in hell his daddy was going to be able to get him out of this mess. But it just goes to show what a ludicrous, self-centered idiot Dean really was and how messy of a criminal he had become. No doubt his brain failed to function coherently when under the influence. He could have been smart about it, but his overly arrogant personality didn’t think he needed to take precautions.

“The fucker thinks he’s untouchable,” Luke grinded his teeth together. Reed patted him on his shoulder and told him to have patience and promised it was going to go well.

Luke’s mind trailed back to Isabel and how for so long she refused to acknowledge him. She’d arrive to work and only speak to him regarding work related issues. Any time he’d call her into his office, she’d be distant and cold and not even look into his eyes. It pained him to watch the woman who was once so expressive with her large brown eyes to become completely remote. No emotion flickered across her face and Luke was beginning to wonder if she even was mentally present when they communicated. But this was a risk he was willing to take in order to protect her. He’d just love her from a distance and cherish the fact that after this trial, she would be safe. Her security and peace of mind were much more important to him than his own needs.

“We start in about five minutes.” Reed informed him and Luke nodded. He decides walking further away from the courthouse for those remaining minutes would be good for him. God knew he needed to clear his head and gain all the patience he could gather.

Once the trial started and the jury was informed of Dean’s actions, Luke was going to need to keep his composure. God knew how desperately he wanted to beat the man to death for inflicting pain upon innocent women. Now every time Isabel flinched from fear, Luke had a face to place with the blame and he desperately wanted to inflict that pain back to the person who was causing it. Over and over, Luke contemplated about handling this Jake’s way. Jake had an immense network of people that would wipe Dean Scotts and his very existences off the face of this planet. Luke was still unsure what his best friend did when not working for B. Pentagon. He had his theories and assumptions but each time he got closer to gaining some truth, Jake informed him he’d be better off not knowing. Jake had once explained that if Luke had been a man with no family ties, Jake would have involved him in what he does, but neither of them would want to place Luke’s family in danger. Luke’s ties with his family were strong and any threat coming towards him would drag his family in danger as well. But Jake considered himself as a nomad. A man detached from the rest of the world, living by his own law. As much as Jake considered Luke’s family his own, when push came to shove, he would disappear out of town for month’s length of time and return randomly. No one questioned him. They had become used to how Jake operated.

But Luke decided he wanted to do this the legal way. Jake’s way would have led them to do everything behind closed doors and not a damn soul would know about it. 
No
. Luke wanted to make every aspect of this public. He wanted to smash Preston Scotts and his disgusting, filth of a son to the floor. Burn them down to ashes and have the entire nation know what kind of scum they really were. He knew there was no way Scotts was bullshitting his way out of this one. Reed’s evidence was just too damn strong.

Luke took a few steps outside and came to an abrupt halt.  His green gaze locked with the large brown eyes he’d become hopelessly in love with. Isabel gave a shy smile to the shocked look on Luke’s face. She turned around and said something to Jake who was standing next to her and he nodded in reassurance. Isabel nodded as well and they both headed towards Luke. Luke thought his feet were glued to the floor. He couldn’t bring himself to move towards her. They stood in front of him and Jake slapped him on his back. “Brady.” He nodded. “I’ll give you two a minute.” He looked at Isabel and nodded again as if his nodding continued to give her positive confidence.

“You came.” Luke tried to clear the hoarse sound in his voice but failed.

“I should have been here sooner.” She paused and waited for a while. Silently thanking Luke for giving her a minute to gather her thoughts and order her lungs to breathe. “This is difficult for me Luke. But you are right. I need to put it to rest. I’m willing to testify.”

Luke took a deep breath. It felt as though he hadn’t been breathing for days. He’d been suffocating without her. He didn’t say another word. He stepped forward, cupped her face and placed his lips on hers. He kissed her hungrily and a little frantically. He’d missed her so much. Her taste, her smell, her beautifully expressive eyes. Everything about her. He allowed his lips and tongue to linger over hers and gain back the familiarity of her touch, along with the uncontrollable need to show how much he wanted her. Isabel matched his craved embrace with her own eagerness. She realized Luke really did love her. He had done everything to shelter and protect her and she had pushed him away out of fear. Her insecurities had taken a toll on her. But no more. No longer would she deny that she needed to face this and put it behind her. Move on with life with no more fear, doubt or regrets, because Luke would help her get there and she would not refuse him this time.

Luke pulled away from her lips and buried his face into her neck. He wrapped his arms tightly around her thin waist and inhaled her sweet jasmine scent. “God I missed you so much.” He missed holding her. He felt her small hands run up and down his back.  Those small momentous minutes felt like a lifetime for Luke. He didn’t want to let her go, dreading the concern that she could easily slip out of his hands and out of his life again. He didn’t want to release her but had no choice once he heard Jake calling them to go inside. He reluctantly pulled away but still kept his arms wrapped around her fragile waist. He gazed into her eyes allowing her to see the amount of love, lust and longing he had for her.

“Are you ready for this baby?” he murmured.

She placed a gentle hand on his cheek and smiled. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

Luke took both her hands and kissed each of her fingers. “Come on, let’s go. I’ve got you.” With his arm wrapped tightly around her waist he pulled her into the courtroom where faith and justice waited to make their earth-shattering decision.

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              As far as Isabel knew, the easiest part was agreeing to testify. The worst part was seeing Dean Scotts for the first time since that dreadful night. As she stepped inside the room, her panic hit her with such a fierce impact, even Luke’s strong arms struggled to hold her up. He’d immediately rushed her away from the courtroom to the nearest women’s restroom. Isabel had asked for a moment of privacy and slowly closed the door on Luke’s frightened face. She leaned against the sink willing her breathing to stabilize. Small sweat beads broke across her entire body and she shook severely. She could vaguely hear Jake and Luke talking outside the closed door as Jake’s stern voice argued with Luke, stopping him from going inside to grant her a moment to gather herself.

            Isabel thought any minute Luke would burst through the doors to come to her aid. What she least expected was for Marcy Brooks to walk into that crowded narrow restroom and look upon her with sad, knowing eyes. To Isabel’s shock, she stood right in front of her. And much more to her surprise she looked well. Isabel didn’t know what she had expected. Maybe a thin, fragile girl who’d changed her vibrant blond hair to a dull brown, hiding behind overly large clothing. But before her stood a young woman whose beauty radiated much like it did when they had first met.

            “Marcy.” Isabel blurted out in a rasping voice. “How are you?” 
Stupid question. 
“You uh, look so well.” She was nervous, she realized, since she’d expected Marcy to look at her with accusing eyes. Here before her was the same young woman who’d been haunting her dreams and instead of hate radiating from her, Isabel felt calmness from Marcy.

            “Don’t let the appearance fool you. The inside is all torn apart.” She whispered but managed to smile.

           Isabel took a long, hard look at the young intern who had once seemed so carefree and full of life. But now it was Marcy’s eyes that gave it away. She might be hiding well behind her fancy clothes and nicely styled hair but had failed to cover the hollow glance in her gaze. “You don’t hate me?” She finally asked the burning question.

            “Hate you? Why would I hate you?” Marcy shook her head. “You and your mother tried to help me but I refused. I’m so sorry Isabel. I’m sorry I turned away from you. I was just scared.”

            “I know. I’ve been there too. I still am.” Isabel let out a mocking laugh. “It took me a while to agree to this,” she paused, “So how are you really doing? Other than looking evidently great.”

            Marcy grinned, “I’m healing. Dr. Finch works wonders. He’s been so patient with me and his methods of coping have really helped me accept what was done. I didn’t want to acknowledge it but now I finally have.”

            “Dr. Finch?” Isabel asked. 
What was the irony of them both seeing the same doctor?

“Your mother has been paying for all my therapy sessions.” Marcy confessed.  “After I refused to press charges, a few days later she came back to my apartment and said she couldn’t stand the thought of me living through this alone. I guess she realized I was in denial and that’s worse than admitting what really happened. She left Dr. Finch’s card at my door and said if I ever seek any help, she’d help pay for it. She begged me to go see him and at first I refused but eventually caved and made an appointment.”